Conventional wisdom wants you to avoid ordering fish from a restaurant on Mondays, to protect your stomach and tastebuds against not-so-fresh seafood. Is this sound advice, or unnecessary menu voodoo? Photo by ezioman.

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Writers at the ever-curious HowStuffWorks investigated the rumors about Monday menus and fish to get the bottom of the mystery. The origin of the saying has much to do with how fish are shipped and sold:

Sharp-tongued chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain gets much of the credit for spreading the adage. In his 2000 culinary tell-all, "Kitchen Confidential," Bourdain warns would-be diners against Monday's catch of the day specials at restaurants. Since most fresh fish markets are closed on Sundays, you'll be eating fish that's been sitting around for a few days. Although the restaurant may have properly refrigerated or even frozen it in the interim, Bourdain warns that by then, fish might be four or five days old

So should you actually avoid eating any fish on a Monday? They offer some guidelines on when to dive in and when to avoid the fish. If you're dining at a nice restaurant in a coastal city, the catch has a higher chance of being fresh. The mahi-mahi in Denver, on the other hand, won't be so fresh on a Monday afternoon. Other signs the fish has seen finer days? Fish specials on Sunday and Monday that come slathered in heavy and flavorful sauce, designed to mask the more pungent flavor of aging pesca. For more tips and some fish market lore, check out the full article below.